Vintage Halloween Collectibles Research (1900-1979)

Hallmark Vintage Halloween Collectibles Part 2: 1960's As in previous entry Hallmark Halloween Part 1: 1950’s , The Halloween Retrospect vintage collectibles guidebook series is researching dates for autumn Hallmark centerpieces (around and a tad later than mid-century) to inform a book article on a relative subject. The book's article is in development stage for collectors’ guide The Halloween Retrospect, Volume 3, and this entry (including that which falls before and after) will be a bit of a sneak-peek into the next volume ( to be available from THR’s bookstore ). So, here we go, to discover better dates for Hallmark ephemera (assembly, honeycomb, and pop-up) circa 1950-1980. And as with “Decrypting Dennison: Serial Number Guide Featuring Autumn Publications” (THR, V2) , much is revealed by taking a broader view at Hallmark’s products across the decade of the 1960's. Shown here is a detail from a large table-top pop-up  Haunted House centerpiece by Ambassador (Hallmark).

Sane Halloween Observer Do you have any concerns about the assessed rarity and value of German-made diecuts in your collection? It may be of interest to view a series of earlier entries here that show a number of diecuts (formerly dated 1920s-40s) instead appeared to have been on the market in the 1950s ( Halloween in Germany:1955 ) through the 1960s ( Seven Spooks in Narrenfibel ) reaching all the way to the mid-1970s  ( Dead Skeletons ). As a possible reflection on what may be newer perspectives, or just post-holiday doldrums, here are some interesting auction results from January 2016... that are well below typical values suggested by various guides. Sold for $125 ($25 each) plus auction fees . Sold for $80 ($27 each) plus auction fees . Sold for $90 ($30 each) plus auction fees . Sold for $0 - auction passed Sold for $125 ($31 each) plus auction fees . Sold for $125 ($31 each) plus auction fees . Sold for $200 ($40 each)...

Sane Halloween Observer Yet another awesome mid-century merchandise package for what must have been the popular "haunted house carry-case" genre..., this time from Brach's Fine Candie s circa 1955. You can see the handi-pak described in the 1955 Halloween Candies brochure : No. 5101 - Trick or Treat Handi-Pak Haunted house design on satchel-shaped pak contains minimum of 70 assorted cello packets of Candy Corn, Halloween Jelly Beans, Orange and Black Imperials, and Assorted Creme Cones. Empty satchel serves as a container for Trick or Treat loot. Net weight per pack 22 1/2 ounces. 16 Handi-Paks to case.  For more haunted house candy-boxes see  Witch's Chest  and  Candy Loot .   

Sane Halloween Observer Hallowe'en crepe paper (and it's ephemera relatives - napkins, paper plates, cups, etc.), is in some ways the forgotten art form of vintage Hallowe'en, and the great variety of these prints mostly absent from many modern books on collectibles. Dennison's Bogie Books  offer a resource from their own company catalog, but a full visual retrospective of multiple companies' work could fill an entire collector's book of richly bizarre patterns. It would be a welcome addition if someone out there surveyed these amazing works! One amazing snippet from this neglected history is listed as a Panoramic Crepe in the 1921 Bogie Book - H108 Hallowe'en Design  (fold 10 ft. long without repetition of design).  It can be seen appearing for a few years in the Bogie Books, and is here (image below) used as a table skirt. Amazing to imagine how these now precious paper designs were sliced up to make other displays. Directly below this "decorati...

Sane Halloween Observer Offering some night photos of this spooky triangle shade that appeared in vendor supply catalogs of the 1930's. The shade collapses flat, folding on a deliberate line through the middle of the owl. (It's a peculiar design decision that over time has usually reduced the quality of that particular pane). Original method for maintaining the expanded shape of the lantern is currently unknown by this blogger - (and information is welcome).  Note that the item (shown below in excerpt from an original 1937 catalog) is advertised as a die cut which is the industrial "cookie-cutter" process that made so many vintage holiday items, (and not just 2-D flat decor). See earlier blog entry from December 2014:  Halloween Diecut Quiz .

Sane Halloween Observer Another of those vintage decorations that gets happily ignored by valuation mania --- this is a wonderful set for those who enjoy the old glow-in-the-dark effects on printed ephemera! These heavy card-stock decorations (approx. 3"x4") identified by the ghostly "logo" as being produced by  American Novelty Corporation of Omaha  were likely created sometime between 1943-1950. One of my favorite for the nostalgia --- (I really LOVED these type of dimly glowing paper novelties when I was a kid hiding under the covers imagining that the glowing form was eerily moving before my eyes). The following photos (at right) were taken in the dark with a time-lapse of 800 ISO for 30 seconds with 5.6 aperture. PS - If you like glow-in-the-dark novelties, check out this blog : SPOOKY THINGS THINGS THAT GLOW IN THE DARK, VINTAGE TOYS OF A SPOOKY NATURE AND OLD-FASHIONED CHILLS...

Sane Halloween Observer While Beistle's vintage oeuvre gets plenty of attention (that I don't suspect it will need much repeating here), some of the smaller details get lost "in the shuffle" shall we say? The Kitty Card Game  from the late 1920's is often shown with the packaging and instruction sheet, while perhaps the best part, the imagery of the individual items, is only hinted by a stack of nearby cards. I thought it would be fun to create this quick collage of the 10 hatching-effect sketches seen in the deck.